Diamond Jack Matt Potok of Jackson Memorial has been named to the Senior All-Star Games.
Seven Diamond Jack players have been named to the prestigious New Jersey Scholastic Baseball Coaches Association’s Senior All-Star Games that will be contested on June 15 at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
Nick Czarnecki, Hunterdon Central, Alex Duffey, Immaculata, Charlie Granatell, Don Bosco Prep, Matt Kalinak, Gill St. Bernards, Matt Miceli of Somerville, Matt Potok of Jackson Memorial and Anthony Scarlata of Bridgewater-Raritan are the All-Star Game honorees from the Diamond Jacks.
The 43rd annual event designed and operated by the state baseball coaches association pits four teams of 25 senior players. Pre-game ceremonies and introductions begin at 6 p.m. Pre-game IO follows at 6:30 p.m. and the games start at 7 p.m.
The coaches association presents a number of awards, including it’s Joseph B. Hartmann Man of the Year and typically a number of honorees receive the Mike Stang Service Award for their years of service to high school baseball. The association also formally inducts a number of men to its Russ Spicer Hall of Fame.
The Senior All-Star Game designation is quite an honor for a player, considering just 100 players statewide are named to the games and just 25 players in each region receive the call.
Czarneck, Duffey, Kalinak, Miceli and Scarlata were named to the Central team. Granatell was assigned to the Northeast squad and Potok will be a member of the South team.
Diamond Jacks All-Star Honorees
Nick Czarnecki, OF, Hunterdon Central
Central Team
Monmouth University bound Czarnecki plays in the outfield for Hunterdon Central (23-2), the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex and Skyland Conference champs. He overcame an early season injury to bat .355 (22-for-62) in the middle of the Red Devils lineup. He has scored 28 runs, driven in 20 runs and drawn 14 walks from the left side. Hunterdon Central plays today in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 semifinals.
Alex Duffey, C, Immaculata
Central Team
Duffey’s terrific performance for 7-13 Immaculata makes him a viable candidate for Somerset County Player of the Year. Alex batted a ridiculous .538 (35-for-65), scored 19 runs, drove in 18 runs, ripped 10 doubles, a triple and hit three home runs. He is a lefty-hitting catcher bound for Elon University.
Charlie Granatell, OF, Don Bosco Prep
Northeast Team
Granatell may not have put forth a gaudy batting average but he produced runs. The outfielder batted .298 for Don Bosco Prep (21-6) and drove in 27 runs with three doubles, three triples and three home runs. Granatell will join fellow Diamond Jack Alex Duffey at Elon University.
Matt Kalinak, SS, Gill St. Bernards
Central Team
Kalinak really was an all-around talent, a complete ball player in the sense that he set the table as well as cleaned it up for a very good Gill St. Bernards (18-7) squad. The shortstop committed to Clark University (Mass.) batted .373 (28-for-75), scored 31 runs, drove home 24 runs, drew 21 walks and stole 23 bases. He also had five doubles and two home runs.
Matt Miceli, SS, Somerville
Central Team
An extremely talented shortstop defensively, the Stony Brook commit has been an absolute force at the top of the lethal Somerville (20-3) batting order. Miceli was batting .449 (35-for-78) heading into today’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinal at Cranford. He has scored 31 runs, driven in 19 runs and has four doubles and six triples.
Matt Potok, RHP, Jackson Memorial
South Team
The big righty, Potok is 6-4, 225, is 4-2 this spring for Jackson Memorial, a perennial Shore and statewide power. Matt has permitted just seven earned runs in 28.3 innings while striking out 46 batters and walking just five. He’s allowed 21 hits. Potok, who just turned 18 years old, will take that talented right arm to Coastal Carolina in September. Jackson Memorial (18-6) is still kicking in the South Jersey, Group 4 semifinals.
Anthony Scarlata, RHP, Bridgewater-Raritan
The talented 6-0, 187-pound righthander steered the pitching staff for 17-6 Bridgewater-Raritan this spring. He permitted just 13 earned runs and 21 hits in 29.1 innings. He also struck out 47 batters and walked 12. His fastball sits in the mid-80s and tops out at 86-87. He has a deceptive mix of fastball, slider, changeup. Scarlata is a preferred walk-on at Fordham University.